Trunk or packing-box.



T. W. POST.

TRUNK OR PACKING BOX.

AYPLIGATION FILED JAN.14', 1909.

Patented Oct 19,1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onmon.

TRUMAN W. POST, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO '1. W. POST COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRUNK OR PACKING-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, TRUMAN W. Pos'r, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the countyof New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks or Packing- Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 1

This invention relates to trunks and packing boxes, and includes several features of improvement by virtue of which a strong, durable construction is obtained, while at the same time the trunk is rendered much more convenient for the purposes of packing and unpacking. To obtain the latter features, I combine a cover of the type which is hinged directly at or forward of an upper corner so as to swing flat against a wall in contact with which the trunk may happen to be placed, with a construction of swinging tray which not only provides for easy packing and unpacking, but which strengthens the closed relation of the cover, making the latter substantially as secure as in any trunk construction of the ordinary type. I have adopted a special form of swinging tray which is very firmly supported in its open position when swung aside to expose the lower interior portion of the trunk.

My invention consists in the features of construction and combination as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the trunk open; and Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the trunk closed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of a trunk or packing case and which is of substantially the ordinary construction, except that its front and side upper edges 2 and 3 terminate in a plane somewhat lower than usual, while the rear wall 4; is extended upward through the entire height of the trunk. The cover 5 has a top face 6 which is hinged directly to the upper edge of the back 4 and has a front face 7 which depends to meet the front edge 2 of the body of the trunk. The sides of the cover are formed of triangular pieces having edges joining the rear corners of the cover top with the lower corner of the depending front 7 thereof.

In place of the usual single tray I provide a pair of trays 8 hinged at 9 to the rear wall 4 of the trunk at the portion thereof which projects above the plane of the remaining edges. These trays have their bottom faces in horizontal planes directly above the side edges 3 of the trunk body, and are adapted to swing from a central position where they contactv with one another and substantially cover theavailable area of the trunk, laterally to a position where the interior of the trunk, is exposed. In this latter relation, however, themovement of the trays is limited so that their bottom surfaces do not entirely clear the side edges of the trunk, but rest thereon, establishing a firm support for the tray in use. Different forms of stop may be adopted to limit the lateral swinging movement of the trays, but I prefer flexible webs or straps 10 secured to the trays and to the top edges of the trunk at convenient points. I have illustrated straps connected to the trays at points 12 on their forward outer corners,'considered in their open relation, and joined to the trunk at points 13 adjacent to the side edges 3. The length of these straps is such as to limit the lateral swinging movement of the trays to positions where the entire interior of the trunk is exposed, but where the trays rest on the side walls and are supported thereby. As an additional means of supporting the trays in their open relation, I provide struts 14 fixed to the outer edges of the trays and extending diagonally downward toward the rear wall of the trunk, at which points they are pivoted in any suitable manner.

I have referred to the fact that the trays are hinged to the rear wall of the trunk at their corners and it is evident that this engagement must be as secure and rigid as possible. In order to strengthen the support of the trays as much as possible in this manner, I make their side walls thicker on the portions thereof which are exposed when the trunk cover is closed, thereby establishing ledges 15 against which the cover rests in its closed position. The hinges 9 are directly attached to these thickened portions at the sides of the trays.

The use and operation are obvious from the foregoing description. While the trunk is being packed or unpacked, the cover is swung upward, and it is evident that this may be done although the trunk is directly resting against the surface of a vertical wall, as is ordinarily the case. The trays are swung laterally to expose the entire interior body of the trunk and in this relation are themselves presented for packing and unpacking at the sides. When the packing is accomplished, the trays are swung inward and the cover folded down, binding the trays in their position and itself being bound by the trays in a very secure manner. All factors contribute together to make the engagement of the cover very secure when the trunk is closed, since the trays abut against one another at the middle and are anchored at their outside corners, establishing a virtual diagonal bracing of great rigidity within the trunk to resist any blows or impacts on the front corners of the cover. The sides and the rear edge of the cover are also strengthened by the trays, in a less ratio, but it is evident that the rear edge of the cover is sufliciently strengthened by its hinges. The complete trunk is therefore not only adapted to the purposes of convenience in packing and unpacking, but is fully as strong, if not stronger, than the usual trunk in which a rectangular cover and a vertically removable tray are employed.

What I claim is A trunk or packing box comprising abody having a rear wall projecting above the plane of the remaining edges, a cover hinged at its rear edge to the upper rear edge of the body and having depending front and side walls, the side walls being of right triangular shape tapering toward the line of the hinge support of the cover, a pair of trays hinged to the exposed side edges of the rear wall of the box in the plane thereof and having their lower faces in a plane corresponding to the planes of the side edges of the trunk, said trays swinging inward to abut against one another and be clasped by the depending walls of said cover or outward to positions where the interior of the box is wholly uncovered, said trays having side walls thickened on a triangular outline so as to form a ledge 15 contacting with the side walls of the cover when the cover is down, diagonal wire struts pivoted to the lower portion of said box at the rear side thereof and to a front outside corner of each tray, whereby the trays are supported when swung out, and flexible straps 10 fixed to n points near the front outer corners of the box and points near the front outer corners of the trays for limiting the outward movements of the latter, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

TRUMAN W. POST.

W itnesses FRANK X. MCCAFFRY, STEPHEN A. RUDD. 

